Reno transit fee hikes, data center moratorium and the Reno police shake-up

Hosts Kristen Hackbarth and Bob Conrad catch up on several weeks of major Northern Nevada stories in the latest This Is Reno podcast — from proposed RTC transit fare hikes and Washoe County budget concerns to heated debates over data centers, housing growth and police department leadership changes. 

We also dive into the complaints surrounding the Sierra Reflections development, Reno’s temporary data center moratorium and how AI is changing local journalism. 

There are changes proposed by the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, including planned RTC Access fare increases from $3 to $4 per ride and raising the qualifying age for senior mobility services from 60 to 65. We raise the optics of cutting senior benefits while simultaneously approving an 8% salary increase for the RTC executive director ahead of retirement. 

Sierra Reflections development sparks backlash
The controversial Sierra Reflections housing project south of Pleasant Valley has more than 2,000 residents opposed to the development. We discuss concerns about traffic, mercury-contaminated dust and ethics complaints filed against county commissioners over campaign contributions tied to developers. 

Reno police leadership and department culture
We discuss the appointment of Corey Solferino as Reno’s new police chief without a formal national search process. The episode also explores allegations raised by retired officer Gabe Smith regarding departmental culture, training deficiencies and accusations involving officer misconduct. We also revisit broader concerns about transparency and public records delays by the city of Reno.

County budget pressures
A lengthy portion of our chat focuses on the Washoe County Board of Commissioners budget discussions for fiscal year 2027. We explain how staffing levels remain below pre-recession highs despite population growth, while county officials increasingly rely on AI tools and efficiency measures to stretch limited resources. 

New Washoe County development code updates encouraging smaller single-family homes under 1,200 square feet through density incentives. This is an attempt to address affordability challenges, changing household sizes and aging population trends while debating the aesthetic and traffic impacts of newer housing developments across the valley.

The data center moratorium debate and AI use
We discuss the Reno City Council’s temporary moratorium on new data center applications after intense public opposition. Environmental groups, tribal members and residents raised concerns about water use, energy consumption and long-term sustainability, while union representatives and industry supporters defended the projects for providing jobs. 

We take a turn to respond to a call that This Is Reno stop using AI, explaining how AI assists with transcription, fact-checking and meeting coverage while emphasizing that all content is still reviewed and edited by humans. We argue that AI allows small local newsrooms to produce more public-interest reporting despite shrinking resources and declining local news ecosystems, and that there is no way to escape using AI in running a digital news publication.

‘A seat at the table’
Kristen has an appearance on “A Seat at the Table” hosted by congressional candidate Greg Kidd to discuss news deserts and the collapse of local journalism coverage in Northern Nevada. We reflect on the challenges independent media organizations face in maintaining community accountability reporting.

Finally, we wrap up election-related coverage with a discussion about the county’s new centralized Registrar of Voters warehouse. There is expanded security, equipment consolidation and increased public observation space designed to improve election administration ahead of the June primary election while joking about inevitable conspiracy theories surrounding ballot counting.

Stay current on Reno news by subscribing to our free daily newsletter. This Is Reno Newsletter

This summary was generated with the assistance of AI and edited by us.